A class in progress in a school in Laggere, Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Though the new academic year has just commenced, the State government has not appointed guest teachers to fill vacancies in government primary and high schools.
There are 47,272 government schools in the State with 1,79,784 teachers. Sources say around 50,000 teachers’ posts in primary schools and 10,000 in high schools are vacant, and guest teachers are recruited for these vacancies.
In 2023-24, the DSEL appointed about 33,000 guest teachers by May, who began work at the beginning of the academic year. However, guest teachers have not been appointed this year.
Thousands of schools have just one teacher, and many schools with 50 to 60 students have only two or three teachers. So, guest teachers are the mainstay in such schools.
Students attend class in a school in Laggere, Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
Officials said the department has submitted a proposal for the appointment of 51,000 guest teachers, and it’s pending approval from the Finance Department.
Election code
DSEL sources said guest teachers haven’t been appointed because of the poll-related model code of conduct. “Once the election process is over, the department will recruit guest teachers,” said an official.
“Even after the poll process is over, it will take about one or two months to issue an order, invite applications, and fill the posts. Until then, permanent teachers will be deputed to schools where there is a shortage,” said the headmaster of a government high school in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association requested the Chief Minister consider the early appointment of guest teachers. Chandrashekara Nuggali, the association’s general secretary, said around 60,000 teacher posts are vacant in government schools, and it is tough to run them without full-fledged teaching staff.
Fund for shoes and socks
The DSEL has released ₹121 crore for shoes and socks for around 42.65 lakh students of classes 1 to 10 of government and aided schools. Considering the climate, schools have the option to buy slippers in place of shoes.
The School Development and Monitoring Committees have been directed to form a purchase committee. The zilla panchayat chief executive officer has been asked to conduct random checks on 5% of the shoes supplied in each taluk to ensure quality.
